It is called jook or zhou or geng in China, zuk in Korea, chao bo in Vietnam, lugaw in Philippines, okayu in Japan, khao tom gung in Thailand. But its most popular name is of Indian origin – ‘congee’, which comes from the Tamil word kanji. What is it? We are talking about that wondrous, marvelous broth, the gruel made by cooking rice in four to six times its volume of water till it takes on a thick, porridge-like consistency.
You might be wondering, has this book portal turned into a cooking show? Not really. Of course, we are still talking books. In this case, specifically a book called Secrets of Health from the Indian Kitchen. It’s written by Ratna Rajaiah. As the title would have already given a hint, the author takes a walk down the memory lane, only to find it redolent with the aromas of her mothers and grandmothers kitchens, and lined with the spices and condiments of her youth. And in the process, she tells us a lot about the Indian cuisine, from bananas to potatoes to dals to spices and what not?
In the first chapter itself, which is on rice, we learn about kanji. The author goes on to tell its history, cultural value, and how it can offer so much in terms of health. So, let’s prepare this wonderful, ancient recipe in the comforts of our kitchen and see what it tastes like. The below content has been excerpted from the book.
Kanji Recipe:
Wash 250 grams of rice thoroughly and drain out the water completely. Next, spread an absorbent cotton cloth over a large thali or tray. Spread the drained rice thinly on cloth-covered tray and leave for about 3-4 hours or till the rice grains are completely dry.
Now, in a heavy pan or kadai, dry-roast the rice over very low heat till the grains turn golden-brown and give off a roasted aroma. (Stir constantly, so that the grains roast evenly and do not char.) Allow to cool and then grind to a coarse powder the consistency of semolina (rava).
Heat the oil, add mustard seeds and dried red chilli. When the mustard seeds stop sputtering, add the curry leaves. After a few seconds, add the roasted rice powder, grated coconut and salt and fry for about a minute or so till all the ingredients are well mixed. Boil the water and add to the roasted rice-powder mixture. (Add the water very carefully and slowly because the rice-powder mixture will splutter and split when it comes in contact with the hot water.) Over very low heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly till all the water has been absorbed and you have a thick upma-like mixture.
Allow to cool. Now take about two tablespoons of the mixture and shape into a slightly flattened ball. Repeat till all the mixture has been used up. Steam the balls for about 10 minutes in a pressure cooker without using the weight, or in a rice cooker.
Serve hot with ghee and coconut chutney. Bon Appetit! Let us know how well you enjoyed our secret Kanji recipe.
Kalampedia 